CATHERINE’S STORY
(Gum Disease & crooked teeth)

“My name is Catherine, and Dr. Van gave me the smile of my dreams. My teeth had deteriorated badly after I had children, because I was devoted to the kids and just sort of let things go. I thought my case was hopeless, but my husband heard about Dr. VanWechel and made an appointment for me on a Saturday. (He actually came in on a Saturday to meet with me.) At the end of our session, he created an entire plan of care for me—something that no other dentist had even tried to do.



I was a challenge for even the most skilled cosmetic dentist. All of my teeth were crooked, and I had serious gum disease and lots of cavities. Dr. Van guided my case through several specialties, and when he showed me the detailed plan he had developed for my new smile, I became as dedicated to having that smile as he was to giving it to me. I was so-o-o ready.

When I saw the smile Dr. Van created, I just cried. He watched me closely as I looked in the mirror. I think it’s very gratifying for him to see the reactions of his patients. And, of course, my husband and my friends saw an immediate change in me. I went from someone who rarely smiled to someone who couldn’t stop smiling. As a teenager, I had always been self-conscious about the way I looked. Now, my confidence is in the stratosphere. For the first time in my life, I look people in the eye when I talk with them. I even went to nursing school, fulfilling a life-long dream.

Now, when people look at me, I don’t think they’re focusing on my teeth—or if they are, it’s because they think they look great. Thanks, Dr. Van.”

Catherine H.

DAVID’S STORY
(Permanent Bridge & Porcelain Veneers)

“I’ve always had this really bad overbite, but I didn’t want to go through the hassle of wearing braces and head-gear for years so I just sort of learned to live with it. When I was younger, there were always lots of kids who were teased about their weight. In my case they teased me about my teeth. Then when I started singing with my band, I became even more conscious about the way my teeth looked. I read about Dr. VanWechel in the newspaper and decided it was worth a try to see if anything could be done without braces



At my first appointment, they took a bunch of pictures of my teeth and gums. Then they used a computer to show me how my smile would look after Dr. VanWechel had done his work. From that moment on, I knew I had to do it. In my second appointment I had my temporaries put on, and after that, things moved quickly. My wife was in the room when my permanent bridge and veneers were placed, and she got all teary-eyed when she saw my new smile.

When I was on stage before, I used to try to keep the microphone in front of my mouth so the audience couldn’t see my teeth. Now I’m totally open and go out of my way to show off my smile. Thanks, Dr. Van. You’re the very best.”

David L.

VICKEE’S STORY
(Overbite, tooth gaps & metal fillings)

“For all the wrong reasons, I waited until later in life to get the smile I always wanted. I seriously thought cosmetic dentistry was for movie stars, not for regular people. I had been to a lot of regular dentists and had quite a bit of dental work done through the years to sort of patch my teeth together. But they didn’t look very good at all. I had a severe overbite, huge spaces between my teeth and a lot of cavities that were filled with old-fashioned metal fillings.

I’m the type of person who smiles a lot. Even though I knew my teeth weren’t pretty, I always smiled. Of course, I also used to put my hand in front of my mouth when I did it. When I think back on it now, I would have to say that not having an attractive smile bothered me my whole life. And once I actually got my new smile and saw myself in the mirror, I wondered why I hadn’t done it sooner.

Dr. Van is impressive. I’ve been in quite a few dentists’ chairs, and I’ve never met one as gentle and perceptive as he is. He’s always asking how you’re doing or if you’re feeling any discomfort. And of course, he knows all of the newest techniques. He’s the classic example of the difference between a regular dentist and a cosmetic dentist. He’s the absolute best.



When my treatment was completed, my 13-year-old daughter (who just started wearing braces) said, ‘Mom, you look like you just had your braces taken off!’ My friends would stare at me and say, ‘I know you did something, but I don’t know what it is—but whatever it is, it’s great!’

I’m so happy with my new smile. Thanks, Dr. Van. I only wish I had met you sooner.”

Vickee P.

NICK’S STORY
(Porcelain Veneers)

When Nick walked into Dr. VanWechel’s office, he was just 19 years old and a Junior in college. He was an affable young man, who was nevertheless a little concerned about his upcoming graduation and moving from academia into the “real” world.

“I’m getting ready to concentrate on my job interviews,” Nick said. “I’m fairly strong in some areas,” he observed, “but my smile’s a little weak.”

Nick’s droll observation was a gross understatement. While he would probably be considered physically attractive by nearly any other measure applied, his crooked, gap-toothed smile was an aesthetic disaster. For 19 years, he had lived with that annoying truth, and now he wanted to do something about it.

During the consultation, Nick told Dr. VanWechel what he wanted, and was told about the cosmetic options available to him. With computer imaging, he was shown what his smile would look like with all the spaces filled in and his teeth sized to fit the shape and size of his face. He decided that he wanted porcelain veneers.

With veneers, there’s no need to grind the tooth down to a stump as you do with crowns. And there’s no thick, yellowing surface as with bonding. With porcelain veneers the patient almost immediately enjoys the beauty, natural color and high sheen of real teeth. And veneers last a long, long time.



Nick’s transformation took a total of three visits. On the final visit—when Dr. VanWechel permanently placed his veneers—the change in his appearance was striking. He stood up in his baggy jeans and tee shirt and stared in disbelief at the mirror. “Doc,” he said, “you’ve turned a dud into a stud!” He couldn’t wait to show his girlfriend who was waiting in the outer office. And the moment she saw the handsome, confident young man with the dazzling white smile strut into the room, she burst into tears.

LETICIA’S STORY
(Excessive gums)

Leticia had heard all the horror stories about gum surgery, and that’s why she put off visiting the dentist for so many years. When she finally worked up the courage to meet with Dr. Ron VanWechel, she was apprehensive and uncomfortable. Within minutes, however, his calm, pleasant manner had put her at ease.

Leticia explained that her teeth were actually just fine. It was the size of her teeth that caused her so much embarrassment through the years. Because she had such excessive gum tissue, it appeared that she had the teeth of a child in the mouth of an adult. In spite of her desire to correct her problem, she was still reluctant to go through the painful rigors of gum surgery.

When Dr. VanWechel told Leticia he could remove her excess gum tissue without scalpels, cutting and stitches, she made an appointment. Dr. VanWechel performed the two-hour procedure using the state-of-the-art Periolase laser, the only laser gum treatment cleared by the FDA. When Leticia saw her new smile, she couldn’t believe it.



“When I looked in the mirror, I cried ‘Wow’ out loud,” she recalls. “The whole procedure was virtually painless, and the change in my smile was instant. I used to cover my mouth whenever I smiled. Now my daughter keeps asking me to smile all the time so she can show me off.”

JIM’S STORY
(Advanced gum disease)

Ten years before Jim met Dr. VanWechel, he had personally experienced the pain and discomfort associated with traditional gum surgery. According to Jim, it was one of the worst times of his life, a time he wants to forget.

“I had serious gum disease, and I was afraid I would lose all my teeth if I didn’t do something about it,” he said. “So I had gum surgery the old way. By the old way, I mean the way they used to do it. They get in your mouth with a scalpel and they scrape your gums away from your teeth. It’s probably the most painful thing I have ever experienced, and I never wanted to go through it again.”

Now, ten years later, Jim’s gum disease was back, and he began looking for a less traumatic remedy. He met with renowned cosmetic dentist Dr. Ron VanWechel, who told him about the amazing Laser Assisted New Attachment Procedure (LANAP) using the Periolase laser. (It’s the only laser gum therapy that has received FDA clearance.) Jim signed up, and inn two brief sessions, his gum disease was successfully treated.

“It was absolutely amazing,” he said. “There was no pain, no bleeding, no packing, no stitches. The laser treatment was fascinating, and Dr. Van and his staff were awesome. The difference between the old, cut and stitch gum surgery and the laser treatment was the difference between night—a very painful night—and day.”

DOUG’S STORY
(Gum disease & & Full-mouth restoration)

Doug’s teeth were bad for as long as he can remember. When he was 12 years old, he took a spill on his bike and broke his front teeth. From that point on, it was all downhill, and Doug’s fear of dentists kept him from ever getting proper treatment.

Now 63-years old, Doug’s mouth was a mess. He had serious gum disease and needed new fillings, bite adjustment, crowns, veneers, a bridge and an implant. Before any of his other issues could be addressed, the gum disease had to be treated since it jeopardized the support of all his teeth.

Doug was apprehensive when he went to Dr. VanWechel for his first gum treatment. He had heard the stories about painful surgery and lengthy recovery. To his surprise, Dr. Van’s Periolase laser gum treatment was amazingly fast, and in his case, pain-free. “The doctor gave me a prescription for pain pills, but I never had to use them,” Doug recalls. “In just two visits, it was all over. Then we began with the new fillings, the veneers, the bridge and all the rest. A few months later when Dr. Van had completed his work, I went home and waited for my wife to return from shopping. When she opened the door, I purposely did not smile. And when I did, she almost fainted.”



For Doug, his new smile was just the beginning. He lost 50 pounds of excess weight, shaved his beard and turned into a new, vital, energetic man who looks 20 years younger than his biological age. “When I say that Dr. VanWechel changed my life,” Doug notes, “it’s no exaggeration. He gave me this incredible smile, and I’ll have it to enjoy for the rest of my life.”